Rude Awakening
by CoffeeCrumb
Summary: Jim is shocked to learn that Draal and Aarrrgh have been pulling their punches when sparring with him. When Vendel finds out, the entire team has to deal with the consequences. Especially Jim.
1. Chapter 1

Blinky decided that it would be better to focus on sparring against multiple opponents rather than dodging giant blades and flaming stone dummies. Jim was half relieved and half annoyed. Because while sparring could be much easier than going through the obstacle course of death, it was still pretty damn hard.

Especially since he was not just sparring with Draal, but with Aarrrgh as well. Which kind of surprised Jim, since Aarrrgh was a pacifist. Although, to be fair, Aarrrgh hadn't really been outright attacking him, just flanking him towards Draal.

Aarrrgh held no weapon but still posed a pretty big threat just by his massive size alone. Draal had chosen to wield a large sword not unlike Daylight. It was larger and heavier than Jim's sword. If he was ever hit directly with it, without any armor or amulet to protect him, he was fairly certain the force of the blow would cleave him in half. Or break his spine.

Jim and Draal faced each other, rotating counter-clockwise, their weapons firmly gripped and ready to strike. They weren't even an hour into the sparring session and Jim was more than ready to collapse onto the floor from sheer exhaustion. Draal looked the same as when they started sparring.

Jim risked a quick glance behind him, trying to spot Aarrrgh. The friendly troll hung back, shadowing his movements, keeping him from retreating. Draal took advantage of his distraction and charged forward. Jim's head jerked back towards Draal. He stood his ground, trying to still the tremors shaking his arms.

When Draal was within a troll's arm's reach of him, he released his physical and mental hold on Daylight. The sword dissipated in a flash of blue flames.

Jim, now defenseless, rolled to the side, narrowly dodging Draal's sword as it buried itself in the ground a foot from where he had been standing seconds before.

From his position behind Draal, Jim gulped. His eyes widened at how easily the sword penetrated the rocky floor. He was up and running in the opposite direction a second later. And most definitely _not_ screaming his head off.

Aarrrgh ran to cut off his escape route, trying to herd him back to Draal, eerily similar to a border collie herding sheep. The comparison was even more fitting since border collies are famously known for not physically attacking the sheep.

 _Wait._

Jim could have laughed but, as he was out of breath at the moment, didn't. He changed direction and made a beeline for Aarrrgh, feeling somewhat amused at the confused expression on the troll's face.

He couldn't stop the smug grin stretching across his face when he dodged Aarrrgh and grabbed hold of the troll's back hair. Jim struggled to pull himself up onto Aarrrgh's back. Tapping into his last reserve's reserves and yelling the entire time, he climbed upward, finally reaching the top of Aarrrgh's back. He wrapped his hands in the troll's thick green fur and made sure his grip was as tight as possible.

Aarrrgh stopped suddenly and Jim was almost thrown forward off of the troll. He braced himself and dug his feet into Aarrrgh's back, feeling a pang of guilt for any discomfort he caused his friend.

"Yes! Yes, take that Draal, Aarrrgh!" Jim said. He had to resist the urge to throw his hands in the air. Seeing that Aarrrgh was trying to reach back and grab him, Jim dodged the troll's stone fists, moving nimbly from one side to the other. "You can't touch me! Ha! Ha ha!" Jim was grinning from ear to ear.

His grin fell from his face in an instant when Aarrrgh decided to roll onto his back. Jim jumped off of Aarrrgh's back and stumbled, grunting when his knees collided with the ground. Before he could run away, Aarrrgh reached out and grabbed him as gently as possible.

Jim cried out and struggled in Aarrrgh's slightly less than crushing grip. He knew the troll was trying to be gentle, knew that he would never hurt him on purpose. He still felt a flash of fear when his supply of oxygen was cut off. He gasped and struggled even harder against Aarrrgh's grip.

A moment later Aarrrgh set him down, patting him on the shoulder as if to apologize for nearly crushing him. Jim tried not to wince as his knees almost buckled from the force of the pat.

"Heh, tha-thanks big guh-guy." Jim said. He coughed, waving off Aarrrgh's concern and smiled, trying to put the troll at ease. " 'M alright."

"Taking advantage of your enemy's weakness! Great thinking Trollhunter!" Draal said, slowly making his way towards Jim and Aarrrgh.

"Yeah." Jim glanced over to the side, feeling a pang of disappointment when the spot that Blinky and his friends usually occupied was empty. Blinky was holed up in his library, Toby was taking care of his Nana, and Claire was stuck babysitting NotEnrique.

His thoughts were interrupted when Draal patted him on the same shoulder as Aarrrgh did. _Ouch._ Jim rubbed the sore spot on his shoulder.

"Let us spar again! This time you will be on the offensive, while Aarrrgh and me, on the defensive!"

Jim was unable to bite back a loud groan. The idea of sparring _again_ was enough to make him want to be in detention with Ms. Janeth.

"What if, and I'm just spitballing here, we _don't_ spar again. Or ever. Ever would be nice." Jim said.

"Don't be silly! Come, let's spar!" Draal laughed.

"Yes, let's spar. Again!" Aarrrgh said. He slammed fist on the ground. Jim was thrown off balance. He flailed his arms, breathing a sigh of relief when remained upright.

"No, let's not." Jim said. "Besides, I need to go. My mom's gonna be home from work in less than an hour and I _have_ to be there or I'll be in a _world_ of trouble."

"...Fine." Draal said, crossing his arms. Aarrrgh sighed. Jim tried not to change his mind when Aarrrgh looked at him with a sad expression. _Oh my god, Aarrrgh has puppy_ _eyes._

"Well! I'll-uh-see you guys tomorrow. After school." Jim said. He smiled, hoping his positive attitude would cheer the two trolls up, even if it was a bit forced. It didn't. His shoulders sagged and the smile faded from his face.

A few minutes later Jim was ready to leave, his amulet tucked safely into his back pocket, his bag slung over his shoulder. He was standing in the entrance and turned and waved at Draal and Aarrrgh. They waved back, somewhat less enthusiastic. He shrugged it off and made his way down the steps of the entrance of the Hero's Forge, humming a song he heard on the radio earlier that morning.

He was gonna be home in time to make dinner for his mother _and_ finish the mountain of schoolwork on his desk. He smiled. Finally, things were going right for a change.

Until he walked right into a troll.

Jim fell backwards, his butt colliding with the very cold, very hard stone steps. He looked up, ready to yell at whoever bumped into him, only to bite the inside of his cheek. Vendel was looking down at him disapprovingly, his face set in a scowl. Jim gulped.

Where was Blinky when he needed him?


	2. Chapter 2

They were heading towards the Hero's Forge, for what reason Jim had no idea. He had just finished sparring with Draal and Aarrrgh, so why was Vendel taking him back there?

Whatever reason Vendel had, Jim was sure it had something to do with the large brutish troll lagging behind them. The troll looked like he could go toe to toe with Aarrrgh. And win.

Once they reached the entrance to the Hero's Forge Vendel called out to Draal and Aarrrgh. They looked just as confused as Jim felt.

Eventually, everyone was standing in a loose circle. Vendel, the mysterious troll, and Jim on one side. Draal and Aarrrgh on the other.

"It has come to my attention," Vendel said. "That you two have been…'pulling your punches' so to speak." He stared at Draal and Aarrrgh. They shifted nervously under the elder troll's intense gaze.

"'Pulling our punches? That's ridiculous! We have _never_ -" Draal said. Vendel slammed his staff into the ground, cutting off Draal mid-sentence. Aarrrgh seemed to shrink back.

"Do not lie to me, Draal, son of Kanjigar!" Vendal said. He turned to Aarrrgh. "You are just as guilty as he! I understand your position as a pacifist, Aarrrgh, but the Trollhunter's training comes first."

Draal winced and Aarrrgh nodded. They both looked at the ground, ashamed.

"What you're accusing them of, it's not true!" Jim said. "If they were pulling their punches they would have told me. They wouldn't-they wouldn't lie." Even as he said those words Jim couldn't ignore the whisper in the back of his head, in his thoughts, that said they _were_ pulling their punches. That they _didn't_ tell him. That they _lied_ to him.

He shifted under Vendel's calculating gaze. It felt like the elder troll was staring into his soul. As if everything he did, everything he said, everything he thought, was transparent. He knew it was stupid, but he felt so _exposed._

"Hm." Vendel said. He raised an eyebrow. "Then not only are you inexperienced, you are _blind_ as well, _boy_." His expression morphed into one of disdain, of contempt.

Jim scowled and looked away, trying to ignore the blush that was spreading across his face.

"I assume that Blinkous gave you orders to do so?" Vendel said, looking at Draal and Aarrrgh. They were silent, choosing instead to nod rather than speak. "Hmm. Just as I feared."

Jim, his frustration with Vendel momentarily forgotten, stared at Draal and Aarrrgh in shock. Were they really pulling their punches? When they were sparring together it didn't seem like it...but if they were...then…

"The Trollhunter is behind in his training, no doubt because of you two. Because I can no longer trust you to objectively treat the Trollhunter as a legitimate opponent, I have chosen another troll. A champion." Vendel said. "One who will _not pull his punches._ "

"But that's not _fair-_!" Jim said.

"I do not care if you think that my decision is unfair, _boy_! You have no say in the matter!"

Jim wanted so badly to defend his friends, it wasn't fair that Vendel was taking out his frustrations on them. But Draal and Aarrrgh, realizing what he was about to do, shook their heads vigorously. Jim was reluctant to back down, but he did so anyway, worried that any more outbursts would get him and his friends in even more trouble.

Vendel motioned to the troll standing beside him. The troll was massive with hardened features and cold eyes that seemed to drill holes into Jim.

 _No, not holes_. Thought Jim. _Giant chasms of death._

The troll seemed more like a Gum-Gum than, well, a troll from Trollmarket.

 _I. Am. So screwed. Holy shit, if I have to fight him-_

Jim's vision flicked for a moment, a wave of dizziness passing over him. The sparring session with Draal earlier had left him both physically and mentally drained. He couldn't find any strength to deal with Vendel and everything and everyone else.

He was only vaguely aware of Vendel speaking and motioning-probably to the _giant troll_ _of death_ next to him. He really, _really,_ didn't want to die. And, if the mysterious troll was going to be his opponent, then he was most definitely going to die.

Jim turned away from the four trolls, refusing to continue those thoughts. Even thinking felt exhausting. He let the expression on his face fall and, rubbing his eyes, tried to muster up enough strength to function.

He looked down, his eyes drawn to the floor that he was standing on.

The floor looked inviting. Jim paused, thinking briefly of what it would feel like if he were to sit down and stretch out his legs in front of him. The longer he thought about it the more the floor called to him. He was about to just say 'screw it' and sit down regardless of what everyone else would think, when he heard someone clear their throat.

His head jerked up, not even realizing that it had been tilted towards the floor. He turned around to face the four trolls who were all staring at him. He wanted to curl in on himself under the intensity of all of their gazes combined. He felt oddly self-conscious.

 _Crap, are they waiting for me to say something?_

 _Think of something to say! Anything! Literally anything that sounds Trollhunter-ish!_

"I think-yes. Excellent." Jim said. He smiled sheepishly, trying not to grimace. "Just to-just to clarify, what was the plan again?"

"If you had been paying _attention_ Trollhunter," Vendel said. "You would know that I intend for you to spar _tonight._ "

"Right. Right! Exactly wha-wait, _what_?" Jim said. Vendel's statement, said so matter-of-factly, was like a slap to the face. He reeled back, not bothering to hide the betrayal he felt.

The bit of hope, hope that he would be able to pretend that his life was normal again, was crushed in an instant. It was incredible how Vendel knew exactly what to say to him to make him feel like crap.

His face fell. He wanted to object, wanted to argue that _no he couldn't spar tonight, he had to make dinner for his mom and finish his schoolwork and have a normal life for once_ but when he opened his mouth only a timid squeak came out.

Jim knew that if he forced himself to speak his voice would tremble and so would his lips and then he'd start to cry because _he had a life outside of being the Trollhunter and that life was slowly falling apart and he couldn't do anything about it because being the Trollhunter always comes first, no matter what._

He tried to argue against that, tried to reason with himself that his personal life came first. That it was more important than swinging around a sword made of daylight and pretending to play the hero. But he failed. He knew, deep down, that his number one priority was his role as the Trollhunter. That if he had to choose between having a normal life and being the Trollhunter, he would have to choose the latter. The realization left a bitter taste in his thoughts.

It wasn't unfair, it was perfectly fair. It was his responsibility and it would continue to be his responsibility until the day he dies. He really _did_ have no say in the matter.

Strickler was right to call him Young Atlas, as much as he hated to admit it. The weight on his shoulders seemed to press down even harder, as if the sole purpose of it was to break him until there was nothing left to break.

"Then we will begin post haste!" Vendel said.

Jim wanted to scream.


	3. Chapter 3

Jim stood next to the wall that held all of the weapons used in the Hero's Forge. He looked at the dozens of crudely sharpened blades and tarnished blunt ends of others. It was, truly, an incredible collection of weapons, all made for the sole purpose of being wielded by trolls. Which meant that the weapons were very big, very heavy, and very deadly.

Jim felt that on any other day he would have enjoyed learning about each weapon, what it was used for and how to wield it. Not like he could, but still. He didn't feel so excited about the former-after all, one of them would be used on him by what was the biggest troll he had ever seen. And that included Bular.

He leaned against the wall, grimacing as sharp rocks dug into his back. He could feel a headache forming, the image of an approaching storm seeming like an accurate comparison. It was far too easy to imagine dark clouds crawling forward, thunderous and threatening, flashes of lightning shooting dull sparks of stabbing pain behind his eyes.

He groaned and massaged his temples with shaking fingers. He needed to focus. But his mind was a hurricane of panic and confusion, his thoughts scrambling for purchase, desperate to cling onto something, _anything_.

 _Come on, focus. Clear your head._

Jim closed his eyes, willing the storm to end. He exhaled as rays of sunshine peeked through the rapidly dispersing clouds, bringing clear skies and a tranquility that soothed his head and calmed his chaotic mind.

Jim opened his eyes and mentally high-fived himself.

 _Ok. I'm in a crap-ton of trouble right now, I need...I need Blinky. He'll know what to do. I hope._

He looked at Draal and Aarrrgh and gave them a shaky thumbs up, trying to lift their spirits. It most likely wouldn't be very effective, but it was worth a shot. They responded by frowning.

 _Well, that didn't work._

He thumped his head against the wall and winced when the rocks dug into his scalp. It was hopeless. In a few minutes he'd be fighting against a trained champion. In less than half an hour he'd be dead. It was a sobering thought, the knowledge that his chance of surviving was practically non-existent.

What he needed was a way to increase his odds of survival. And for that he needed…

 _Duh, of course! I'm an idiot!_

Jim reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, nearing dropping the device in his excitement. A second later he was calling Toby.

"Come on, Tobes. Please, _please_ pick up the phone, ok? I really need you and Claire right now so _pick up the phone_ I'm begging you-" Jim said, crying out in frustration when Toby didn't answer. He called again.

Toby didn't answer. Not the first, second, third, or fourth time.

Jim was ready to throw his phone onto the ground with as much force as he could muster. His grip on the phone tightened and for a split second he seriously considered it. The idea of watching the device shatter into a million pieces seemed satisfying. He scowled and called again, glancing at the troll who was impatiently pacing on the other side of the forge. The troll slammed his weapon against the ground and resumed his pacing, dragging the giant mace behind him. The friction of metal against stone left a trail of sparks.

Jim gulped and looked away, calling Toby for the sixth time.

 _Sixth time's the charm, I guess._

Toby wasn't picking up and the seconds ticked by, each unanswered ring sending Jim's hopes further and further into a dark abyss of despair.

"Tobes, please, pick up. Please, please, please, please, _please!_ " Jim said, holding the phone millimeters away from his face, as if the closer it was to his face the more likely Toby would hear him.

And then the most amazing thing happened. Toby answered. Jim was nearly brought to tears.

"Tobes, I ne-"

"Jim, now's not really a good time!" Toby said, shouting over the phone.

"What, why? Is something wrong?" Jim said.

"Thats-that's an understatement!"

Jim opened his mouth to respond but didn't, closing his mouth as the sound of fighting erupted in the background. It seemed like Toby was struggling-against whom, Jim didn't know-and two more voices appeared, shouting and yelling and-wait. One of the voices seemed...familiar.

He frowned and tried to place where he heard that particular voice before. It was definitely someone he met, whether at school or-

Oh.

Oh, _no._

He finally remembered who that voice belonged to and it didn't exactly make him feel better. It made him feel worse, actually. He didn't know that that was possible, given his current situation.

It belonged to Claire.

Toby and Claire were caught up in something bad, and by the sound of it they were losing.

"Tobes, is that Claire? What's going _on_ -are you guys ok? Say _something!_ " Jim said. He was clenching the phone, his voice steadily growing louder the longer Toby remained silent.

"Goblins! There's so many Goblins! So many, Jimbo, so many!" Toby said. He was practically screaming into the phone. "We're at-ah! _Shit!_ -there's millions of them! Claire's being a boss as usual and NotEnrique is helping but we're getting our asses kicked!"

"I-" Jim said, unable to promise Toby that he'd help out. He looked for Vendel, and, finding the old troll, ran to him.

"Vendel, my friends are in danger, I _need_ to help them! Please, I can train another time!" Jim said, staring into Vendel's eyes, not bothering to mask the worry in his gaze.

Vendel nodded. Jim felt relief wash over him. He turned towards the exit, ready to sprint all the way to-

 _Crap! I didn't get a location from Toby!_

A heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder, stopping his train of thoughts. Jim's gut twisted.

"I know that your friends are in trouble, Trollhunter, but your training comes first." Vendel said. His voice was steady, sympathetic but firm. "Draal and Aarrrgh will go and help them. You will remain here and train."

Jim whirled around, scowling at the old troll. "There is _no way_ I'm staying here when Toby and-and Claire are in trouble! I can't-I need to help them."

Vendel looked at him with pity, his expression sorrowful. Jim was taken aback, surprised at the old troll's emotional response. He didn't know that Vendel was capable of looking so...honest.

"Listen carefully, Trollhunter. I have seen your predecessors despair over similar situations such as this. I am sure that Kanjigar has told you about the sacrifice he made to protect his son?"

Jim nodded.

Vendel cleared his throat and looked at Draal and Aarrrgh. "Go, help the boy's friends."

Draal and Aarrrgh ran towards the exit, disappearing through the tunnel.


End file.
